The Secret Identity of Sailor Mars
by Jonah Mark
Summary: A wonderful man enters Raye Hino's life however, with the coming of a new enemy, Raye's attention is torn away from love towards duty. Strain is put on the relationship from Raye's secretivness, and the breakdown of the seemly perfect relationship begins.
1. Charm

**Episode One**

**Charm**

"I'll take one. No, actually, I take three." The young giddy school girl stood with her equally giddy friends. They each held onto the small wooden charm with inscriptions in Japanese kanji and marveled.

"Do these really work?" One of the girls looked up at the Miko who sold the charms to them. "Will it really make Genji fall in love with me?"

The Miko shrugged her shoulders. "You'll just have to see." She looked over the group of junior high girls giggling in front of her charm shop. It felt like so long ago that she was one of those junior high girls, but now she would be starting college tomorrow morning.

"I'll take another one!" The first girl spoke up.

The Miko put her index finger up and shook her head. "Four is an unlucky number. I wouldn't do that."

The girl pondered for a moment. "You're right! I'll take two more!" All the girls giggled simultaneously. The girl dug more Yen from her change purse and paid for the charms. Now there were five love charms dangling on her wrist.

"Gee, Megumi, save some of the love charms for someone else!"

The girl blushed. "I think five should do it."

Googling over their charms, the girls backed away from the charm shop and started to walk away. The young Miko watched the girls and smirked. She wondered if she was that silly when she was in junior high. Shaking her head, she stepped away from the counter and dug in the boxes in the back. She needed to restock the charms after the girls came through and emptied her inventory. The Miko brought out a new box and set in on the counter. She started to fill the display trays with the new charms. The box was full of blue love charms, but for some reason, there was one pink one. The Miko picked it up and studied it. It was a very pretty charm with cherry blossom pink and red stitching. She pondered for a moment. She had sold these things for years as part of her job, but she never actually used one of them before. She flipped the simple wooden charm and looked at the back. The material over the wood had the kanji for love stitched in red on the back.

The Miko looked up from the charm towards the grounds of the shrine. Love was something that always seemed to escape her. Her thoughts went to many places—old boyfriends, rejections, failures, and the ease that everyone else seemed to have except her. Her mind went to her friends. She was to appear as a bridesmaid in Serena's wedding next month. The story of Darien and Serena seemed to be such a fairytale compared to the life she led. She sighed for a moment. She truly was happy for them—even though she did see him first. She faintly smirked and shook her head. That was so long ago. It didn't matter anymore—after all that time, she had given up on love.

Looking back to the charm, the Miko stared hard at the beautiful stitching. She was about to put the charm in the display tray with the other blue charms, but she couldn't. It would look horribly unbalanced with the blue. She held the charm tightly and shook her hand. She had sold them for years but never actually used one. She shrugged her shoulders. Why not? It wouldn't help her anyway.

She gripped the charm tightly and closed her eyes. She prayed silently within the depth of her innermost being. "O great Kami, if you can hear me, please grant me one request. I am hopeless. Bring me true love."

The bell of the haiden hall rang. Her eyes fluttered open. Her head jerked to the left to look towards the haiden hall. Standing before the bell to call upon the gods was a man praying with his hands pressed together. Completely captivated, she stared at him.

He was a neatly dressed man with a button down shirt, and a tie around his neck. He wore khaki pants and brown dress shoes. By his feet was a black briefcase. He was physical fit and thin, but had some muscle. His hair was short, neatly trimmed, and black. He wore glasses that were square, silver framed, and had small lenses. His eyes were deep brown.

Soon, he was done praying. He bent over and picked up his briefcase. Mesmerized, the Miko followed the stranger with her eyes as he left the shrine grounds. She contemplated leaving the charm shop and greeting him, but she stopped herself. It didn't matter. He was probably married with children or had some gorgeous girlfriend, or more likely he was a complete jerk. She sighed as he started down the long stairway leaving the Hikawa Shrine. She could never have him—she could never have anyone, and it wasn't like he would have wanted her anyway.

* * *

"That's wonderful, Serena," Raye said, only half-listening to the conversation. Raye held the telephone to her ear while trying to fix her hair that morning and listen to Serena ramble on and on about the wedding details.

"I can't believe I managed to save 15," Serena commented excited. Ever since Darien proposed last Christmas, Serena had been riding on cloud nine. Raye wondered if Serena had any idea how annoying it was to have someone call at seven in the morning to talk about purchases on sale, but she just listen to her friend anyway. Raye put down her hairbrush, completely satisfied with her hair then gave her full attention to the phone conversation.

"I guess everything is set then," Raye said.

"Well, actually, now that you mention it, this would be a good time to bring something up I've been meaning to talk about with you."

Raye didn't like that tone. "What?" She cringed.

"Are you bringing a date to the wedding?"

"No, why?" Raye asked, slightly defensive.

"Well, how long has it been since you've been on a date?" Serena pondered for a moment. "A year now?"

"Eleven months!" Raye hissed.

"Close enough. For crying out long, Raye, Ami's even more proactive than you about her love life."

"Ami isn't seeing anyone either!"

Serena giggled. "Well, Juuban Hospital has been a little like _ER_ or _Grey's Anatomy_ lately."

Raye rolled her eyes. "Serena, stop being ridiculous and tell me what's really going on, you meatball brain!"

"Well," Serena's voice smiled through the phone. "Our Ami has been getting quite friendly with another intern."

"What do you mean_ friendly_?" Raye asked suspiciously.

"Okay, okay, he picked up her folders when she dropped them, but it sounds like they're off to a good start," Serena came clean.

Raye rolled her eyes. "Any more stupidity you need to share before I go to school?"

"No, that's it!" Serena said. "Have a good day at college! I wish I were going with you."

"No you don't."

"You're right, I don't! So long! Bye!" Serena started to hang up.

"Bye!" Raye shook her head and hung up the phone.

* * *

She had worked hard throughout high school, and she finally did it. She was accepted to the University of Tokyo. When she received her acceptance letter, her grandfather even celebrated and took her out for dinner. Of course, it wasn't good enough for her Father, but she knew nothing would ever be. Her chosen major was going to be Japanese history with a minor in Japanese language. By that time, she knew that it was her duty to someday take over as High Priestess of Hikawa Shrine. She wanted to be well versed in Japanese history and religion to perform her duties properly. The minor in Japanese language was just for her taste and interest—she loved to read literature and writes songs, stories, and poems.

The campus was large and vast spanning over many blocks. There were thousands of young people all over the campus scurrying from building to building. She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket, unfolded it, and looked at it. "Okay, I have Ancient Japanese History with Professor Sato first." She looked around for the building that she needed but she didn't see it. She walked around for a few minutes, but still didn't see the building. She stopped a passing student for a moment and asked her where the building was. The girl was cold, but she gave Raye the information she needed. Finally, Raye reached the Law and Letters building where most of her history and language classes were going to be.

Looking at her schedule, she realized that her class was on the third floor. She headed to the stairs, rejecting the crowded elevator, and headed upstairs. She reached the third floor and started down the hallway. "319. 319," Raye muttered to herself. She would look in on each hallway as she walked by. The students appeared alert and attentive to their Sensei as she glanced into each classroom. . She glanced to the left. "305." She glanced to the right. "306." She continued the pattern down the hallway. "311. 312." She was getting closer. As she reached classroom 317, she glanced in through the window and gasped.

There he was! It was the praying man she saw at the Shrine yesterday. He stood in front of the classroom pointing at the projector. He was talking and leading the class. Raye stood back from the window trying to see into the classroom without being seen. She stood silent trying to her what he was saying. He was going over the rules of Japanese grammar. Embarrassed, Raye stood, feeling a blush come to her face. She felt absolutely stupid. She was standing outside of a classroom spying on a college professor. He was probably way too old for her. She peered into the room again. His arm waved all over the projection screen. He didn't look old at all, but he had a sophistication and style that did make him seem a lot older that she was. She stood for a moment, listening to the sound of his firm, bold, but warm voice. His voice was almost soothing. He was an excellent orator—prefect pronunciation, stunning vocabulary, friendly tone, and he had an excellent voice.

She shook out of her daze. It didn't matter. He was a college professor, and she was barely an adult. She continued to walk down the hall towards classroom 319.

* * *

She had spent most of the day in class and most of the afternoon exploring the campus. She figured she would probably end up joining the archery club on campus and perhaps the literature club—she would have to check that out another day. Tired, she plopped down into a bus seat with her backpack. The bus was unusually empty for a bus in Tokyo. There were a few tired students, a professor of biology, and one old woman. The bus pulled away from the stop and drove around to other stops around the campus. They picked up a few more passengers. Raye didn't pay much attention until one of them caught her eye.

It was him again. The man got onto the bus and greeted the bus driver with a smile. His white smile was completely stunning. He then turned his attention to professor.

"How are you Tajima-sempai?" The man slightly bowed his head before sitting down with his briefcase.

The old professor nodded back. "Ready for the day to be over, Kawamori-kun."

Raye leaned forward in her seat.

"I understand perfectly," Kawamori-san said. He had excellent posture. He did not slouch like the other professor. He started to dig through his briefcase. He pulled out a manila folder with papers in it. He took a pen out and started to examine the papers.

"You have papers to grade already?" Professor Tajima looked over.

"Just some paperwork Kobayashi-san asked me to finish up from summer session," Kawamori-san said.

The bus fell silent. Raye leaned back in her seat. She tried to keep her attention towards the passing city streets, but her eyes kept glancing forwards towards the man. She shook her head and tried to ignore him, but she couldn't. There was something about him—she wanted to look at him, listen to his voice, feel his touch. She immediately stopped her thought processes. He was a complete stranger to her, but she was captivated by him. She pulled a magazine from her bag and held it up. She glanced over the top of the magazine as if she was reading, but she continued to stare at the stranger. It was inappropriate—he was a college professor, but she couldn't seem to help herself.

Kawamori-san glanced up for a moment, looking over the bus. His eyes went in the direction of the young girl reading a magazine. Suddenly, the magazine went up blocking her face entirely. He stared for a moment at the cover of the JJ magazine, a popular female magazine in Japan. He shook his head and smirked then returned to his paperwork.

The magazine slowly went down a few inches and the top of the young woman's forehead emerged. Her amethyst eyes peered out and looked over the college professor again. As he worked, he reached up and pushed his square glasses up his nose. Raye never really liked glasses, but they made him absolutely handsome. She shook her head. She knew she couldn't think thoughts like that, but it was true. She racked her eyes over him. He was handsome—very handsome. She shook her head again, put down the magazine, and forced herself to look out the window.

One by one the people of the bus got off. Raye knew Hikawa Shrine would probably be the last stop. She expected that any stop would be the young professor's stop, but each stop came and went. Finally, everyone was gone from the bus except her and the professor. Before the bus came to Hikawa Shrine, it stopped at a new apartment complex near the Shrine. This was the professor's stop. He packed up his paperwork, grabbed his briefcase, and stood up from his seat. He walked down the aisle and bid the driver goodnight. As he stepped on the first step to leave, he looked back up towards the bus. He looked at her. He faintly smiled and nodded. She caught his eyes, faintly smiled back, and nodded. He got off the bus.

As the bus pulled away, Raye looked across the aisle to the other windows. She watched the professor walk towards the apartment complex. "Kawamori-san." She uttered to herself. She sat back in her seat. Why was she being this stupid, she wondered to herself.


	2. Stalker

**Episode Two**

**Stalker**

Lita carefully arranged the flowers by color in the vase she was putting together. After choosing a mixture of pastel roses, Asiatic lilies, carnations and daisy poms, she stepped back from the table and looked at her arrangement. "So how are your classes?"

"They're fine." Raye said, handing a rose to Lita.

Lita took the rose and put it in the vase. "What classes are you taking?"

"Ancient Japanese history, College Mathematics, Introduction to Philosophy, College Success, and Speech."

"Hmmm, sounds rather boring to me."

"I'm sure it is compared to culinary school." Raye handed Lita more flowers.

Lita faintly smiled. She was taking classes at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Tokyo while working part-time in Kaori's Flower Shop and Garden. She enjoyed her school and work greatly, and it was taking her towards her dreams in life. Satisfied, Lita took a pink bow lace and tied it around the vase. The arrangement was finished. "What do you think?"

Raye held onto a rose for a moment and looked over the arrangement. "It's beautiful."

Lita picked it up and moved it off the table. She then turned to her clipboard and looked over her paperwork. "I think that's the last arrangement I need to make for today."

A woman with long brownish-red hair walked into the back of the shop. As she was walking, she untied her apron. "Lita, dear, I need you to do be a favor."

"What is it?" Lita looked up at the woman. Her name was Kaori, the owner of the small flower shop and Lita's boss.

"My son is sick and needs to be picked up from school. Can you finish out the day and close up the shop at 4:30?" She asked, somewhat frazzled.

Lita nodded. "Sure thing. Not a problem at all."

Kaori pulled the keys from her pocket. "Thank you, dear. You're such a blessing." Giving Lita the keys and a quick hug, she made her way out the backroom of the shop.

Lita led Raye into the front of the shop where the display arrangements were and the cash register. Lita took a seat in front of the register while Raye stood next to her and leaned over the counter. "So it sounds like college is going well for you."

Raye nodded. "Yes, it's fine."

"Have you met anyone new?"

Raye froze for a moment. The image of the professor instantly flashed through her mind. "No, I haven't," She uttered, awkwardly.

Curious, Lita stared at Raye for a moment. "Are you alright?"

Raye jerked her head over. "Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Lita shrugged, still suspicious. "I don't know. Just wondering."

Their conversation was interrupted when the door opened and the small bell above the door rang. Lita looked up. It was one of the regulars. She immediately looked back down to the keys of the cash register. He was a young man probably in his early twenties. He frequently visited the small shop about once a week and he would always buy a small arrangement of flowers. As Lita kept her focus on the register, the young man casually walked around the store looking over everything on display. Raye looked over at him. He had shaggy brown hair, and by his clothing style, she guessed he was an artsy person. After a few moments, he walked up to the counter. "Is this all you have or is there something in the back I could see?"

Lita looked up and stared at him blankly for a moment. She shook her head, snapping out of her daze then forced herself to speak. "I have one arrangement just made up today." Clumsily, she stood up off her stool and walked into the back room. Raye and the young man exchanged glances while Lita was gone, but she soon came back into the room with her new creation.

The young man's face lit up as he saw the arrangement. "That's perfect. I'll take it!" He dug into the back pocket of his jeans for his wallet.

Lita started to ring up the price of the arrangement. "Alright, that will be ¥3,500, please."

Usually, the young man would pay in cash, but today he pulled out his debit card. Lita took the card and focused in on the name. "_Hiroyuki Wantanabe_," She read in her mind. After she finished with the card, she gave it back to him with a receipt. "Thank you."

"No, thank you." He grabbed the arrangement and pulled it off the counter. "She's going to love these," He said as he walked away. Soon the bell above the door chimed again, and he was gone.

Raye looked over at Lita. "What was that?"

"What was _what_?"

Raye motioned towards the door. "That guy! You were all quiet and weird when he came in here. What is wrong with you?"

Lita shrugged. "Nothing. He's just a regular in here, that's all."

"Regular, eh?" Raye leaned back against the counter. "Maybe you should ask him out for coffee sometime. He was pretty cute."

"I'd rather be asked out then do the asking." Lita put her hands on her hips. "And besides, it looks like he already has a girlfriend." Lita pondered for a moment. He bought flowers ever week from the shop. "Yeah, she must be one lucky girl. I don't think I've ever had a guy buy me flowers, and she gets them every week." She looked over at Raye. "And look who's telling me to go out on a date? Miss I-Haven't-been-on-a-date-in-a-year…"

"Eleven months!" Raye interrupted.

"Whatever!" Lita exclaimed. She dug under the counter and pulled out the record books to record the recent transaction. She was silent for a few moments as she wrote down the information of the purchase. "So Serena told me that I'm paired up with Andrew at the wedding."

"And?" Raye asked.

Lita sighed. "I don't know. It's just still a little embarrassing when you tell a guy how you feel, and he doesn't feel that way at all."

"Wasn't that four years ago?"

"Yes, I'm totally over it, but it's really embarrassing." Lita shook her head. "Speaking of which, do you remember when our dress fitting is?"

Raye pondered for a moment. "Saturday at 2:30." Raye looked up at the clock. "I probably should get going. It was good to see you, Lita."

Lita nodded. "It was good to see you too."

Raye departed from Kaori's Flower Shop. The small flower shop was very close to University of Tokyo. When she had spare time, she would often go to visit Lita on her breaks. It was growing late in the day, and it was time for her to go home. Instead of stopping at the multiple bus stops she passed, she made sure she got on the same bus that she first saw Professor Kawamori. For the last couple of days, she experimented with different times to try and see him again, but she never saw him on the bus. That morning she even got on the bus at 6:00AM to see if he was there, but he wasn't. Finding no luck at on the bus, she decided to search through the names of faculty who taught in the Letters Department. There was no Professor Kawamori.

She got on the bus only to be disappointed again. The professor was not there. She sat down in a seat by herself with the other tired students and sadly stared out the window. Tilting her head back into the seat, she wondered why she was going to so much trouble over one man. It was stupid and ridiculous. Here she was getting up at the crack of dawn to watch someone that she never met. She stopped her thoughts—she was a stalker. Knowing that behavior like this was completely inappropriate and bizarre, she closed her eyes and promised herself that this madness would end, and that she would stop thinking about him.

The bus ride was long and quiet. Eventually, the bus reached Hikawa Shrine, and Raye gave a gentle tug on the bell to stop the bus. The bus pulled over and let her off. The sun was still out that early night since it was still the summer, but it was pushing 8:00PM. With her messenger bag over her shoulder, she walked down the sidewalk towards the long stairway into Hikawa Shrine. It was quiet except for the pounding of footsteps against the sidewalk. She turned around and looked for the source of the noise.

He was a runner. In black mesh shorts, a sweaty grey tee-shirt, and an ipod attached to his arm, the professor ran down the street. Raye stopped for a moment, drinking in the view of the man she had been looking for three days. He wasn't wearing his glasses, and his toned muscle was better viewed in a tee-shirt rather than a button down collar shirt. He was running closer.

She didn't know what to do. She debated just turning around and walking away, but contrary to her though processes, her hand instantly went up and waved at him right as he ran past her. He jerked his head to the left quickly to see what the distraction was, but without looking, he ran right into a lamppost and fell over.

"Oh, my gosh!" Raye exclaimed, putting her hands up to her mouth. She felt like the biggest idiot in the world for distracting him and making him run into the lamppost. She stepped down off the first step and ran over to him. He lay on the ground holding his head in pain.

"Are you alright?" Raye asked, terrified.

He groaned. "I think so." He tried to stand himself up. Raye took a hold of his arm and helped him up. "Are you sure you're alright? Do you want me to get you some ice or something?"

"No, I think I'll be okay." He kept his hand over his head, and his eyes closed in pain. "I'll just go home." He started to walk, but he wobbled down the sidewalk.

"I really don't think you're okay." Raye walked up to him and caught him as he wobbled back and forth. "Let me look at your bump." Standing before him, she gently pulled his hands away from his face. He opened his pain-filled eyes—they flew wide open. It was as if all the pain left him. In a daze, he stared at the face of the woman who stood before him.

"Are you sure, you're alright?" Raye asked, slightly confused with the way he was looking at her.

"Yes, I think so," He uttered, still staring at her.

"I can get you some ice. It's really not a problem."

He gently nodded, still a little shook up. "Yes, perhaps you're right. Maybe I should get some ice."

Raye took him up the arm and slowly led him up the stairs to the Hikawa Shrine. The Shrine was closed to visitors by that hour, but she would be sure that her Grandfather would make an exception to this wounded man. Together, they finally managed to make it up the tall stairway into the Shrine. Raye let him through the courtyard, past the Shrine structures, and towards her house. The light of the house illuminated the darkness of the courtyard. The wonderful scent of cooking seeped out of the house as her grandfather worked on preparing dinner. She led the wounded man into the kitchen and sat him down at the kitchen table. Her Grandfather wasn't in the kitchen at the moment. She started into dig in the freeze section of the refrigerator. "Grandpa, we don't have any ice!"

"Yes, we do!" He hollered from another room. He walked into the kitchen a moment later. "It's in the back freezer." He noticed the gentleman sitting at the kitchen table holding his head. "Who's this?" He asked with a bit of surprise and excitement in his voice. It wasn't everyday that Raye brought a man home.

"He hurt his head," Raye said sternly, responding to her Grandfather's playful and flirtatious tone of voice. "I really need to get him some ice."

"I told you. It's in the back freezer." Grandpa sat down at the table across from the stranger.

Raye sighed. "I'll be back in a few minutes with some ice." The stranger nodded and faintly grunted in response. She walked out of the kitchen. There was a large deep freezer in one of the sheds of the Shrine. Raye would find the ice there.

Grandpa folded his hands together and looked over the stranger. He seemed like a fine young man that would be prefect for marrying Raye and giving him grandchildren. "So what is your name, occupation, and do you have any tattoos, piercings, or have been involved in any sort of illegal trouble?" Grandpa asked casually.

The man looked up at Grandpa, the pain of a headache written all over his face, and stared for a moment. "No, I don't have any tattoos, piercings, or have been in any illegal trouble," He answered, somewhat confused.

"Good. Good." Grandpa nodded. "So what's your name? What do you do for a living?"

"My name is Kawamori Akira. I work at the University of Tokyo." He reburied his head in his hands.

"Excellent." Grandpa nodded fervently. "Kawamori-san—that's a very good name." Grandpa leaned forward towards Kawamori-san. "Now tell me, what is your religion?"

The man, named Akira, looked back up at Grandpa, still confused. "Shinto."

Grandpa slapped his hand on the table. "Hot dog!"

"Hot dog?" Akira looked utterly confused.

The gears in the old man's mind started to turn as he looked over the man sitting at his kitchen table. This newcomer seemed like the prefect candidate to date his granddaughter. "Would you care to join us for dinner, Kawamori-san?"

Akira's heart throbbed with pain too much to even comprehend eating at the moment. Seconds later, Raye walked back into the kitchen with a bag of ice. She handed it to the man, and he put it over his forehead. Carefully, he stood up and started to walk out of the kitchen. "Thank you all for your hospitality, but I must be going now."

"Are you sure you're going to be able to walk?" Raye asked.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." He uttered, painfully, but still trying to be kind. "Thank you for the ice." He walked out of the kitchen. Raye followed him to the front entrance of the house. He bit another rushed goodbye then stepped outside.

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?" Raye asked.

"No, thank you. I'll be fine." He said as he walked away, holding the ice pack to his forehead.

Raye sighed deeply as he walked away. She wanted to say more and convince him to let her take care of him, but it was her fault he was in this mess anyway. Closing the door, she leaned her forehead against the door and closed her eyes. She wondered how she could be that much of an idiot. "So much for first impressions," She thought to herself.

After recollecting herself, she walked back into the kitchen. Confusion washed over her face as she saw her grandfather grinning like a wildcat. "Is there something wrong?"

Grandpa shook his head. "No, nothing," He answered, still smirking. Raye rolled her eyes and turned to the refrigerator. She started to dig around for something to drink. Her Grandpa sat silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Kawamori-san seems to be an interesting individual."

Raye looked back out of the fridge towards her grandfather. "You talked to him?"

"Yes, while you were getting the ice."

"What'd he say?"

Grandpa's grin grew from seeing the curiosity in Raye's eyes. "You know, just the usual. What was his name, and where did he work."

"Those are things I don't even know. What did he say?"

"His name is Kawamori Akira, and he said he worked at the University of Tokyo."

Raye stopped searching through the refrigerator and pondered for a moment. She had looked through the entire faculty at the University of Tokyo and there was no Professor Kawamori. Even though that was a troubling fact, it was pushed to the back of her mind. His first name ran through her mind as she began to associate his face with the name. "Akira," She gently uttered aloud while her head was in the refrigerator. She faintly smiled to herself.

* * *

Her index finger gently traced the rim of the tea cup as she sat in the booth of the coffee shop. She watched Serena slurp down a frozen vanilla bean frappuccino—Serena never really liked coffee. Ami had suggested the place to meet to catch up on life. Raye was fairly busy with classes and working as a Miko. Ami was almost chaotic, but the blue-haired girl never seemed to notice. And of course, Serena had way too much time on her hands waiting for the wedding of the century to take place. The two of them waited for their third member to arrive.

Serena sucked on the straw, trying to suck up the last remaining bits of the frappuccino, but she looked up at her friend. A small, faint, smile crept upon the raven-haired woman's face as she traced the rim of tea cup with her finger. She appeared to be living in another world that moment, and it made her smile. Serena smiled at the sight. Raye rarely smiled just to smile. Something was up, and of course, she would be the one to get to the bottom of it. "Raye, what's with you?"

Raye snapped out of her daze and looked up. "Huh? What?" She pondered for a moment. "Nothing's wrong."

Serena watched her for a few moments. The woman looked away then a larger smile swept across her face. "There!" Serena pointed her finger at Raye. "You're smiling! What's going on?"

Raye looked back up. "I told you! Nothing!"

"Liar!" Serena started to pout. "I can't believe you wouldn't tell me if something was going on. I mean, you're in my wedding and all, and you can't even trust me…"

"Stop trying to manipulate me. I told you. Nothing is going on."

"Sorry, I'm late! Things were hectic in the ER. Some paperwork got lost, and I had to help document…"

"Have a seat, Ami." Serena scooted over in the booth and made room for Ami. Ami looked over at Raye. The two friends took hands and squeezed for a moment. They hadn't seen each other in a few weeks due to their lifestyles. Of course, Serena, saw all of the Sailors frequently due to lack of obligation.

"So Ami," Serena said, playfully. "How are things going between you and Shun? Any inter-office romance you want spill with us?"

Ami rolled her eyes. So did Raye. Ami looked over at Serena and folded her arms over her stomach. "We're really just friends."

"He bought you lunch, Ami!" Serena asserted.

"Because I forgot my lunch money, Serena," Ami asserted back.

Raye shook her head. "Yeah, Serena, it is possible for a girl to be friends with a guy and not have anything romantic going on."

"That would explain why your life is so boring!"

Ami gasped before putting her hands over her mouth. Serena knew she was in trouble while Raye's face went into a cold hard stare. The blonde woman sunk back into her seat expecting to be yelled at any moment, but nothing came. The beautiful amethyst eyes saddened for a moment then looked back down to the table. "Some things aren't as easy for others, Serena."

Serena fell silent while Ami nervously tried to ease the discomfort of the situation. "Well, Raye, is there anyone you might be possibly interested in?" She asked gently.

Raye shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think it matters."

"Why not?" Ami asked.

The raven-haired woman looked up, eyes full of sadness. "I don't think something could work out between us."

"Well, who is he?" Serena finally spoke up.

Raye was silent for a moment. She usually didn't discuss these things with anyone, but they did weigh on her heavily. "I think he lives near the Shrine in the apartment complex. His name is Kawamori Akira."

"Where did you meet him?" Ami asked.

"I first saw him at the Shrine, but then I saw him at school."

"So he goes to University of Tokyo then?" Serena asked.

Raye pondered for a moment. She figured it would be best not to disclose the fact that he was a college professor. She already felt dumb for telling them as much as she did. "Yes, you could say that," She danced around the subject.

"Well, have you talked to him?" Serena asked.

Raye shook her head and put her hands up. "Look, it really doesn't matter. Just forget what I said." She looked at her watch. "I probably should be going." She got up from the booth and left a few Yen for her tea.

"But we all just got here!" Serena said.

"I'm sorry. I have to go." Raye left the coffee shop. Raye always had a habit of leaving if a conversation became too uncomfortable.

Ami and Serena sat silently and pondered on the abrupt exit that Raye made. Serena sighed then turned towards Ami. "Ami, I know what I have to do."

"What?"

"I have to find out who this guy is."

"Why?"

With determination in her eyes, she looked up and held her head high. "The Red Ninja of Love must be called into action once again! I am going to set Raye and this guy up! Raye deserves a little happiness in her life!"

Ami leaned down and held her head in her hands. "Serena really needs a job," She thought to herself.

* * *

"Honey, do you really think this is a good idea?" Darien sat on the couch and while reading the newspaper.

"Of course it is!" Serena walked frantically around her fiancé's apartment looking for tools to put in her utility belt. "Raye obviously needs a little help in the love department, and I'm the one to do it."

"Don't you think love needs to take its own course?"

Serena blew a raspberry. "No! Haven't you ever watched the Hallmark Channel?"

"No, can't say I have." Darien turned the page. Serena was making a lot of noise by digging through the kitchen drawers. He turned around and looked at her. "Aren't there any weddings plans you could be going over."

Serena turned to him. "Don't worry! I have plenty of time to plan our wedding and help Raye fall in love." Serena shut the drawer and walked over to the table. She looked over some of the wedding notebooks she kept. "Did you decide who will be your last groomsmen yet?"

"No, I'm still thinking."

"Well, you've better decide, baby. Time is running out."

"I know. I think I have someone in mind."

Serena walked over to the couch, threw her arms around Darien's neck and leaned over to kiss him. He responded to the kiss then reached up to take a hold of her arms. "Our wedding will be perfect, Serena. Don't worry."

* * *

Raye got on the bus that morning at the normal time she needed to go to class. She decided that today would be the day that she would put this nonsense behind her. After causing him to run into a lamppost, she figured there was no way he'd ever even want to look at her let alone anything else. She sighed. It didn't matter anymore. She was putting this behind her.

She was putting it behind her until the bus stopped, and he stepped onto the bus that morning. Being the friendly person that he was, he greeted the bus driver. Terrified, Raye grabbed a hold of her JJ magazine and covered her face. The man looked over in her direction, but all he saw was the cover of the magazine. He sat down as usual, but instead of grading papers, he pulled out a book—Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Raye peered over the top of the magazine. He was wearing his glasses today and reading British literature. She pondered on what kind of man this was. He apparently taught Japanese grammar, liked to run, and read British literature. The more she thought about him, the more she liked him. She didn't understand what her problem was. She saw attractive men everyday in Tokyo so why was she going nuts over this one? She sighed, feeling herself becoming more like Serena and Mina every moment. She thought about last night when she gave him ice. She stared hard at his forehead—there was a bump and small bruise. What if he recognized her as the woman who made him crash into a lamppost? Would he be friendly, or would he be angry? Slowly, Raye pulled down the magazine and laid it on the seat next to her.

For the entire ride, the man never even looked up once from his book. Finally, the bus reached the University, and he got off still reading. Raye sighed as she stood up in the aisle, grabbing her messenger bag. "Akira," she uttered to herself as she watched him walk away from the bus. Why did he captivate her so much?

Raye got off the bus and headed to her first class in the Letters and Law building of campus. As usual, she was very early, but perhaps she might encounter the professor of her heart on the third floor. Opting for the stairs, as she always did, she reached the third floor. He wasn't there. Raye sighed.

"Dang it!"

Raye's ears tickled from the hushed expression. She walked down the hallway heading towards the intersection. The sound of a door trying to open filled the emptiness of the floor. Slowly, she turned the corner. Raye rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. Walking down the hall quietly, she made sure her feet made no noise against the carpet. Finally, she reached her destination.

"Raye! You scared me!"

"I scared you?" Raye crossed her arms over her chest. "You're supposed to be a ninja, and I'm the one who sneaks up on you?" Raye's face turned to a scowl. "What are you doing here, Serena!"

Serena, dressed as the Red Ninja of Love, looked over at Raye but still tired to pick the lock on the door. "I found out who your Kawamori Akira is. You didn't tell me he was a faculty member!"

"Why should I? You shouldn't be in my business!" Raye said, defensively.

"Anyway, this is his office."

Raye jerked her head and looked around. "You're breaking into his office! Serena, that's a crime!"

"So it dating a professor, but I didn't say anything."

"I'm not dating him."

The lock broke open and the door flew open. Raye looked inside the dark office. It was neatly kept office with a simple look to it—almost as she imagined. Serena smiled through her red mask then pulled the mask off. "Ready?"

"This isn't a good idea." Raye looked around the hallway again.

"C'mon! Don't you want to find out more about him? Like if he's married or not?" Serena enticed.

Raye stood silent for a moment. That was a question she did want to have answered. She looked around again then stepped into the small office. Serena followed behind and closed the door.

"Okay, look for pictures first."

Raye turned to Serena. "You've done this before?"

Serena shrugged. "All in a Ninja's work."

Raye didn't ask anymore questions. She looked around at all the pictures. There weren't many—in fact there were only two. Despite the fact it crushed her spirit, she smiled at the pictures. Akira looked absolutely handsome in the picture, but the little boy in each of them was adorable.

Serena came over with a third picture. Raye's heart sunk even more. This picture had another woman along with the little boy and Akira. Serena pondered for a moment. "I'm sorry, Raye. He must be married."

Raye closed her eyes. Why did these things always happen to her? "We should probably get out of here."

The handle of the door started to turn. Serena and Raye's eyes shot wide open. There was absolutely no place to hide in the office.

"The class tends to have higher scores on their entrance exams. I think they would be perfectly capable of starting out with a research paper," Kawamori-san said outside the doorway.

"I don't want to overwork my students either. For goodness sakes, they did everything to get into this school in the first place."

"Well, you decide, Hashiba-san. They are at least academically ready."

"Thanks, Kawamori-san." The other professor walked away.

Soon, the door open and the lights flipped on. He walked over to his desk and stood before it looking for papers. Just underneath the desk were a cramped Serena and Raye trying to hide.

Serena felt it. A long belch was rumbling in the pit of her stomach, traveling up her throat and going to exit her mouth. She couldn't help it, but with pure instinct, Raye quickly put her hand over Serena's mouth and stopped the belch.

Akira looked up at the clock. "I better get to class," He said aloud to himself. He put his papers down and walked over to the corner of the room. He grabbed a messenger bag then walked over to his bookshelf. He grabbed two books: Canterbury Tales and Beowulf. The lights were shut off, and he exited the room.

Raye released a great sigh of relief. "Serena, this was the stupidest plan!"

"Hurry, if we run, we can sit on in his class!"

"Okay!" Raye agreed. The two of them quickly scrambled out from under the desk and left the office. They charged down the opposite way to try and catch him from the front. As they were running, they almost collided into the passing students. Serena ran past a coffee cart that she almost crashed into. To keep the coffee from spilling, she grabbed a hold of the tray with four Starbucks coffee cups. While they were running, she passed them over to Raye.

"Why do I want these?"

"Just take them!"

She didn't have time to stop and put them down so she continued to run with them. They turned the second corner, hoping to get there before the professor, but as she turned the coffee flew out of her hands. Finishing the turn, she saw the hot liquid fly into the air and land on the professor's white button down collar shirt. He hollered instantly from the hot coffee and ran away towards the men's bathroom. Before a scene started to form, Raye ran away from the area while Serena followed.

After they ran away and returned to the classroom that Raye was supposed to be at, they stopped in front of the doorway and took a deep breath.

"That was a close one!" Serena exclaimed.

Raye gave her a cold look. "Serena, just go away," She said sternly.

"Raye, I…"

Raye walked into the classroom and slammed the door in Serena's face.

"…I'm sorry." The Red Ninja of Love failed her mission.

* * *

Raye rode the bus home her usual time instead of trying to guess when the professor would be riding home. She had told herself before that it was over, but this time she really meant it. After the trial of fire and ice she put him through, she was positive he'd never want to even look at her. She sighed. And besides, he was married. There was no way on Earth that she would ever steal another woman's husband. This fantasy had to be over, and it really did feel like it was over when he stepped onto the bus that afternoon. Her heart was too crushed to be spirited by the sight of the man. She merely sat there and focused on her book: _Twelfth Night_ by William Shakespeare. As she read through Act One, she could relate greatly to the lovesickness and pain of Duke Orsino for Lady Olivia.

The man gave the bus a glance over. He looked over at the raven-haired woman who always seemed to be reading. He smiled for a moment—_Twelfth Night_ was one of his favorite Shakespeare plays. He preferred it over JJ magazine any day. He pondered for a moment, thinking the woman looked familiar, but he couldn't place her. He pushed his glasses up his nose. It didn't matter. He was just some guy on a bus.

* * *

She rarely cried, but she found herself weeping heavily on her pillow that evening. Many thoughts, feelings, and emotions circled through her mind and heart while lying on the bed. She couldn't believe she fell for a married man. She couldn't believe she made him hit his head and spilt coffee on him within 24 hours. She couldn't believe she was that stupid to believe love could happen for her. Reaching down, she dug between the crease of her mattress and box spring. She pulled out the wooden charm with a pink cover. She squeezed it tightly. Love charms were nothing but a waste of time. The gods weren't listening to her. Angrily, she got up out of bed, charged across the room, and flung her door open. She was going dispose of this stupid charm and put silly thoughts behind her. She charged outside a few steps through the courtyard. Her arm was raised, ready to throw the charm, but she stopped dead in her tracks.

The man was walking slowly with her grandfather among the courtyard. She put her hand down and looked at the charm. Quickly, she tucked it in her clothing and curiously walked over to her grandfather and the man.

Grandpa looked up at his approaching granddaughter and beamed happily. "Ah, Raye, I'm glad you're here."

"What's going on?" Raye asked.

Grandpa motioned to the man. "Kawamori-san is a devote Shinto and expressed interest in becoming a part-time Priest." He looked to the man. "I believe you are acquainted with my lovely, _single,_ granddaughter Raye."

Raye gave Grandpa a cold look but her face relented when Kawamori-san bowed to her. She returned the bow. "I'm glad to hear you are interested in becoming a Priest, Kawamori-sama."

He smiled. That smile of his made her heart melt. "You don't have to call me that. Akira is just fine."

Raye nodded. "Akira-san."

Grandpa stretched his hands up in the air and yawned. "I suppose I should get dinner started. Would you care to join us, Akira?"

Akira nodded. "Yes, I would be most grateful."

Grandpa started to walk away. "Raye, would you give Akira a tour of the Shrine while I go make us some dinner?"

Raye turned to her grandfather and walked up to him. "But you're always the one who gives the tours!" She snapped under her breath.

"Not today!" Grandpa said while still smiling, quietly so Akira wouldn't here.

"What do you think you're trying to pull, old man?" She hissed.

"I'm trying to get you married before you're 35!" Grandpa was still smiling. He waved over at Akira. Akira waved back.

"Grandpa, I don't need your help! And besides, what if he's already married?"

"What if he's not?" Grandpa started to back away. "Thank you for being so kind, Raye!" Grandpa yelled out loud so Akira could hear. "You two have a wonderful time exploring the Shrine!"

"Thank you, sir!" Akira waved towards Grandpa.

Sourly, Raye walked away from her Grandfather and came up to Akira. "So where would you like to start first?"

Akira looked around the courtyard. "Probably with the outside structures since we have little daylight left."

Raye nodded. He was very intelligent. She started to walk towards the garden area, and he followed behind her. He was quiet for a few minutes as they observed the beauty of the gardens.

"You're the woman who gave me the ice, aren't you?"

Raye's face flushed red. She nodded. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to distract you and make you hit that pole."

They were silent again for a few more minutes. "So Raye, are you in school at all?" He asked, trying to make conversation.

"Yes, I'm actually at the University of Tokyo."

"Ah, me too." He reached out and ran his fingers over a bamboo plant. "What is your major?"

"Japanese History."

"I'm a Letters major."

Raye jerked her head over. "What? You have a major?"

He was confused. "Yes."

"But how is that possible?" She was completely stunned. "Aren't you a professor?"

He shook his head, still confused. "No."

"But I saw you teaching a class one day."

Akira pondered for a moment. "I'm a student-teacher for the Letters department. I have my own office and everything. I mostly grade papers, assist in research, and fill in when professors are sick. I actually got pretty lucky to have a job like that while I'm in school."

"What year are you?"

"I'm a junior."

"How old are you?"

He was a little confused from the blunt questions, but he answered. "I just turned twenty-one a few months ago."

Raye blew out some air in relief. Everything that seemed to be wrong was now looking so right. He wasn't a professor, he was only three years older than her, and he was in college with her. "So do you have any family?" She changed the subject.

He kept walking. "I have a sister and a nephew that I still talk to. I don't see my parents much."

Raye walked around silently for a moment. She realized that the sister must have been the woman in the picture and the nephew the little boy. She looked up. Akira was staring at her. She looked confused from his stare. He raised his finger and pointed at her while he pondered. "You're the woman who split coffee on me this morning."

Raye cringed.

"And you're the woman that I see constantly reading JJ magazine on the bus."

Raye cringed again. "I don't really like that magazine. I just get bored."

Akira stood pondering for a moment. "And you were reading _Twelfth Night_ today."

"You remember all that?" She asked. "I was hoping you'd forget."

He nodded. He stood silent for a moment with a faint smile on his face. "You know, I was only distracted and ran into that pole because I thought you were beautiful." His face blushed madly.

She wanted to say something, but she didn't know what to say. Her chance was ruined when her Grandfather stepped onto the deck of the house and hollered for the two to come inside and help him with dinner.

He let her go in front of her and lead the way, but as she walked, she reached down and touched the form of the charm in her pocket. Maybe this thing wasn't so useless after all.


	3. Wedding

**Episode Three**

**Wedding**

The coffee slowly oozed out of the vending machine into a paper cup. As he stood in front of the machine, he reached up and tucked a lock of purple hair behind his ear. He glanced over his shoulder as he heard someone enter the room. "Hello, Mizuno-san. How are you?"

Walking by with an arm load of papers, the blue-haired girl greeted her collogue with a smile and headed over to the table in the break room. She plopped the stack of papers down and headed to the refrigerator. When the machine was finished, Shun took the cup of coffee and sat down. Instead of drinking it, he swished the gooey paste that was supposed to be coffee. Ami sat down with her lunch. She looked over at Shun playing with his coffee cup. He tipped the cup upside down. The gel slowly crept downwards but didn't move fast enough to hit the table.

She smiled and started to put out her lunch. He looked over at the broken coffee pot on the counter. "I really hope they replace the coffee pot soon."

"Even with the viscosity of that goop coffee you've got there, I'm sure it'll hit the table before another coffee pot is purchased." Ami said, cracking a very nerdy joke, but they both chuckled warmly.

Shun looked over at Ami's lunch. She had leftover spaghetti in a plastic Tupperware dish. "No sandwich today?"

"No, sandwich, but I like spaghetti though."

Shun cleared his throat. "So I noticed you have this weekend off."

"Yes, I'm going to be in my friend's wedding this Saturday."

"Oh," Shun uttered. "All weekend?"

Ami took a sip of her water. "Yes, probably. Knowing my friend, Serena…" Ami stopped her sentence and began to laugh a little.

Shun fell quiet and looked down at his coffee cup. Ami looked over at him, noticing the change in his mood, but having no clue as to why. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I mean, you had this weekend off, and I had this weekend off…" He stopped for a moment.

Ami still looked confused. "What do you mean?"

He pondered for a moment. He had known Ami awhile. She was extremely intelligent, but socially clueless. "I wanted to take you out."

"Out where?" She questioned.

"On a date." He smirked—she was so innocent sometimes.

Ami's mood complete shifted. From lighthearted and carefree, she shifted into serious and anxious. "You wanted to take me out _on a date_?" She looked over at the purple haired young man. Shun was always someone he highly respected for his intelligence, kindness, and strength of character. She enjoyed her friendship with him during her internship greatly. As she sat there staring at the man, a small smile crept upon her face. She could see herself with someone like him.

"I understand if you're busy."

She pondered for a moment. "Serena did say I could bring a date if I wanted." She looked back over at Shun. "If you wouldn't mind going to a wedding, that is."

Shun shook his head. "I don't mind." He smiled.

* * *

She sat in the small souvenir shop at Hikawa Shrine with her elbow on the wooden counter and her fist pressed against her face. Her attention was fixated on a certain man. In his new blue and white priest uniform, he quietly swept the sidewalks. He wasn't wearing his glasses today. When he was at school, he dressed very formal and western, but when he was at the Shrine, his heart and core of being was revealed. Even though he embellished in western culture, he was Japanese by heart and soul. That's what Raye liked about him. She sighed. For the past couple of weeks, he had been working at the Shrine. She had talked to him a little bit over the past three weeks, but it just didn't seem to be working out. Helplessness constantly washed over her heart. She started to notice that girls at school were after him too. There were always young and beautiful girls lined up at his office, and even older women following him around the cafeteria. She had no chance with him.

While looking down at the standard blue love charms, she pondered upon the pink charm she found a few weeks ago. She figured it must have not been a real love charm since fate has only teased her instead of bringing her love, but the charm did have the kanji of love on it. The wooden door of the shop scraped across the wall as it was being opened. Raye looked over. "Is there something wrong?"

Akira stepped into the shop. "Your Grandfather asked me to help you."

Raye glanced outside. There were no customers and there hardly had been anyone who wanted to purchase a charm. Looking away, an annoyed look washed over her face. That old man was up to something.

"What would you like me to do?"

Raye shrugged. "There really isn't anything to do. We'll just have to wait for a customer to come by."

Akira sat down on the other stool while Raye was already on the other one. They would both glance around the tiny shop looking at the minute details of the corners and floor. While he wasn't paying attention, Raye looked over at him. Even though he was only three years older than her, he seemed so grown up and mature for his age. He looked over on the back counter. Curiously he reached over and grabbed a book. It was the Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu. He started to flip through the pages. "Are you in World Literature class?"

Raye shook her head. "No, I just like to read."

Akira looked up with a small smile. "Apparently so: Twelfth Night, Tale of Genji. What's next?"

Raye shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever is interesting, I suppose."

Akira pondered for a moment. "Are you really that indifferent, or are you just shy?"

Raye's eyes bulged. That was an extremely blunt statement. For a moment, it almost made her want to hate him, but in that same moment, it made her love him all the more. "What is that supposed to mean?" She snapped.

"You always shrug your shoulders at everything as if you don't care." He glanced away for a moment. "I don't think that's who you are at all."

"And how do you know who I am?" Raye spat. "You've worked here three weeks, and you think you know everything about me?"

"Yes," He uttered.

She was irate. "I don't think you do!"

He smirked and stood up off his stool. "You have fire inside of you." He glanced away for a moment. "You're dying everyday."

"What?" Raye's anger relented. He spoke the perfect words that seemed to describe her heart everyday. Her fire was dying. As he cut through her defenses, she was able to see past them into her herself and even into him. Without words, he stood there brutally honest. As she stared him down, she really saw him. "You're crushed into dust, and you don't know how to put dust back together."

He solemnly nodded. "Yes, you do see."

While they were fighting, a young school girl came up to the shop and stood at the counter. "Can I get a love charm, please?"

Raye turned her attention to the customer and made the exchange. Akira stood in the shop silently. After the girl was gone, Raye turned back towards Akira. Nobody had ever seen so deeply into her soul or even cared to. The thought of letting someone into that place scared her, but she thirsted for intimacy with another soul desperately. She looked down to the floor. "Perhaps I should leave."

Akira shook his head. "No, don't do that. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry." Raye surprised herself—she said she was sorry.

He glanced away for a moment. "I shouldn't have been so harsh with you." He looked back to her. "You're different. I just don't want you to lose your fire and become like everyone else."

Raye shook her head. "You don't even know me."

"I know enough about you." He stepped towards the door and opened it. "Goodbye, Raye-san."

He bowed for his exit. "Goodbye, Akira-san."

* * *

Serena worked hard on preparing a meal for Darien. Rummaging through the kitchen, she looked around for a spatula. She was attempting to make grilled chicken salad. The lettuce and vegetables were really—all that was left was the chicken. She looked down over the paperwork laid across the kitchen table. "Darien did you decide who you want to fill in as your 4th groomsman?"

"Yes,"

"Really?" Serena walked into the living, surprised that Darien had taken care of this detail. "Who is it?"

"A friend from high school."

"Do I know him?"

"No, I don't think so." Darien pressed a button on the remote for the television. Bored, he was flipping through the channels.

"Does he know we have dress rehearsal on Friday?"

"Yes, I told him the time, place, and date." Darien smirked, very proud of himself. "I even sent him to rent his tuxedo size."

"Baby!" Serena exclaimed. "You're really doing a good job." Serena leaned over the couch and kissed his cheek. She walked back into the kitchen and looked over the paperwork. "Okay, for our bridesmaids and groomsmen, we have Andrew and Lita, Ami and Sammy, Mina and Yuji, and Raye and…" She looked up. First she grabbed then pan of chicken. "Darien, what's your friend's name?"

Darien flipped through the channels. "Akira Kawamori."

Serena dropped the pan of chicken. Quickly, Darien spun around off the couch and looked into the kitchen. "Are you okay?"

Serena looked over the kitchen floor. Pieces of chicken flew everywhere. She couldn't even make a salad with chicken pieces as a topping. "Yes, I'm fine." She shook out of her daze. Sometimes thing worked out too perfect. She grinned. She was going to get Raye a boyfriend.

* * *

The old man walked around the Shrine greeting the visitors, flirting with the pretty girls, and inspecting the work of his two employees. He walked down the stone sidewalk and came up behind Akira.

The young Priest swept the broom back and forth across the sidewalk. Akira stopped for a moment and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He looked across the yard. The young miko was bent over, planting few flowers in a patch by the trees. The man watched her diligently for a few moments.

"She is a looker, isn't she?" Grandpa smirked.

Startled, Akira jumped. He quickly spun around. "Excuse me, sir?"

An evil grin spread across the face of the old man. "You were looking at my granddaughter, weren't you?"

"No!" Akira exclaimed, embarrassed.

"Oh, I don't mind at all, Kawamori-san."

"Sir, I…"

"Walk with me, boy." Grandpa started to walk away. Akira followed closely behind still holding onto the broom.

"Is everything alright, sir?"

"Yes, yes, everything is fine." As the two men walked around the courtyard, a young blonde-haired woman with two meatballs on her head came up. Grandpa greeted the girl. "Serena, have you considered my job offer?"

Serena smiled. She raised her left hand. "Sorry, Grandpa, I'm getting married this Saturday." She looked around. "Where's Raye?"

"In the back." Grandpa motioned.

Akira stared at Serena for a moment. "Do I know you?"

Serena thought back to the coffee incident. "No, I don't think so."

"Yes, I do. You're Darien's fiancée. He showed me a picture."

Serena laughed nervously. "Well, I guess you do know me then. I'm Serena Tsukino." She bowed. Akira didn't seem to realize that she was the one who was with Raye with the coffee incident. She relaxed a little. "I'm glad you're able to fill in for us at the wedding."

Akira nodded. "It's not a problem, Tsukino-san, or should I say, Chiba-san?"

Serena giggled. She could see why Raye liked him so much. He was a very handsome and charming man. "You know, I have you walking down the aisle with Raye," Serena said, mischievously.

"Oh really?" Akira said.

Grandpa perked his ears up. He listened in closely to Serena's conversation with Akira.

"Yes, really. I think you two would lovely walking down the aisle together."

"Are you sure she's comfortable with that?" Akira asked.

"Comfortable?" Serena questioned. "She was thrilled!" Serena embellished. Serena shrugged her shoulders trying not to smile through her deception. "In fact, she said she'd rather be with you than anyone else."

"She said that?"

"She did." Serena nodded. "She even wanted me to seat you next to her at the wedding banquet."

Akira pondered for a moment. "I probably should get going. I need to finish polishing the bells before I go." He bowed to Serena and Grandpa then walked away.

Grandpa folded his arms over his chest. "What are you trying to pull?"

Serena jumped, shocked that Grandpa was onto her. "Nothing!"

"Nothing, eh?" He looked around. "Then why are you trying to put Akira and Raye together at the wedding?

Serena tried to hold it in, but she couldn't. "I think Raye really needs a boyfriend, okay!"

"Boyfriend! She needs a husband!" Grandpa exclaimed. "If something doesn't happen soon, she's going to be living here until she's forty!"

"You're telling me!" Serena exclaimed. "I think Akira is the perfect match for her, don't you think?"

"I wholeheartedly agree," Grandpa nodded. "But does she like him?"

Serena nodded with a smile. "I really think she does. But what about him? Does he like her?"

Grandpa shook his head. "I don't know, but I've caught him staring at her multiple times for the past few weeks."

"Perfect! We can get them together at the wedding! If you agree to help me, I think I can make this work."

"How?"

Serena grinned. "Do you have any money?"

* * *

It was a lovely Saturday for a wedding. The temperature was cool for a summer day, the wind blew gently, and the sun shined brightly without a cloud in the sky. It was a western style wedding with dresses and tuxedoes. Everything was flawless. Andrew and Lita came down the aisle first. Next was Serena's teenage brother Sammy with Ami. Third was Mina with a friend of Darien's from the orphanage, Yuji, and finally, Akira escorted Raye down the aisle.

Grandpa watched his granddaughter being escorted carefully down the aisle on Akira's arm. Earnestly in that moment, he prayed that someday he would see the two coming down the aisle for their own wedding. His attention then went to Serena who was being brought down the aisle by her father, Kenji Tsukino. Grandpa sighed. Raye's father had been so cruel to his daughter and his granddaughter. Raye deserved some happiness in her life.

Flawlessly and with sincerity, Darien and Serena exchanged their vows and performed the marriage ceremony before the entire crowd. Darien kissed his new bride and introduced to the world, Serena Chiba.

The reception was outside also. It was a beautifully orchestrated event with flowers, statues, white banners and cloth. Mina Aino, who was a rising musician in Japan, sang for the reception. Everyone thought it was amazing that Darien and Serena knew this famous person, but they had been friends since Jr. High and the birth of the Sailor Scouts. Lita had arranged all the flowers for the wedding. She would constantly walk over to each display and check it over. While walking over to the next display, she stopped for a moment, recognizing someone.

It was the photographer. He was the same man who came in and bought flowers every week at Kaori's Flower Shop. After he was finished taking a picture, he looked at Lita. "Hi, you're that girl from Kaori's Flower Shop."

Lita nodded. "Yes."

He bowed. "Wantanabe Hiroyuki. You can just call me Hiro, if you like."

Lita bowed back. "Lita Kino."

He raised his camera. "Can I take your picture."

She faintly smiled for the picture. The camera flashed, he thanked her, then walked away. She sighed as she continued towards the next display of flowers.

Serena floated among the crowd on cloud 9 in her white wedding dress. Excitedly, she sat down at a table with Ami and her date, Shun Kaito. She greeted the two and thanked them for coming.

"I'm excited to see you here!" Serena looked toward Shun.

Shun nodded. "Thank you for inviting me."

Serena looked down between Shun and Ami's seats. They were holding hands. A large grin appeared on Serena's face.

"We just made it official yesterday," Ami said before Serena could ask.

Serena squealed and hugged her friend. "Congratulations! Soon I'll be the bridesmaid at your wedding!"

Ami blushed. "Serena, it's a little early to be talking about that. We just started dating yesterday."

Serena laughed and got up from the table. She walked around for other friends to talk to. When looking around, she saw Akira sitting alone at a table, and Raye sitting at the bar area alone. She immediately walked up to Raye. "What are you doing?"

Raye lazily glanced over after slipping on a smoothie. "What?"

"Why aren't you dancing?"

"Who would I dance with?"

Serena rolled her eyes and looked around. "Oh, I don't know, perhaps Akira?"

Raye shrugged. "Serena, I've put that behind me."

"Raye, come on! You're going to end up an old spinster if you don't try."

Raye shrugged. "That's life."

Serena groaned and walked away. Something drastic had to be done. She casually walked over to Grandpa. "You ready?"

He nodded. "Everything is set."

Serena nodded back and walked away. She walked over to the table that Akira was sitting at by himself. "Akira, how are you?"

He looked up at her. "I'm fine, but today's about you. You look very beautiful today, Serena."

"Thank you." She sat down for a moment. "You know, Raye said she wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

Serena pondered for a moment, thinking of a lie. "Well, honestly, she's too shy to ask you, but she really wants to dance with you."

He looked over at her. "Really?"

Grandpa watched closely. The plan was set. Serena was supposed to get Akira to ask Raye to dance. If that worked, then plan B wasn't needed. But if it didn't work and Serena itched her nose to signal Grandpa, plan B was to go in motion. Grandpa looked over to his left. Plan B was a large, muscle bound man named Spike. Akira was unknowingly supposed to protect Raye from Spike and make himself the hero.

"Yes, Raye's talked about nothing more."

"Why wouldn't see tell me herself?"

"I told you. She's shy."

He looked over at Raye sitting alone at the bar. "She doesn't look like she's in the mood to dance."

"Come on!" Serena pulled him out of his chair. She started to walk him over towards Raye. While walking and dragging Akira, a small fly flew up by Serena's nose. She reached up with her other arm and batted the fly away from her face. Grandpa's eyes bulged. He looked over towards plan B and nodded. The large man named Spike took off.

The large muscular man approached Raye from the left. He reached out and gave Raye a small pinch on the bottom. "Hey, cutie," He grinned.

Raye turned around, completely stunned. "Excuse me!"

Spike puckered his lips and raised his eyebrows. "Wanna go bust a move with me?" He leaned in closer. "You know, maybe a little bumping and grinding…"

"Get away from me you, cue ball!" Raye snapped, referencing Spike's bald head.

Spike was very sensitive about his hair. "Why you little…"

"I said get away from me, pig!"

Furious, Spike flung his hand forward to slap Raye. She was quick with her reflexes and ducked under his arm. As Serena brought Akira up, she saw the flying arm and ducked. However, Akira was slapped right across the face by Spike.

Raye looked over. Akira still had his head turned and a bright red spot on his cheek. The man turned towards Spike.

"What are you looking at, pretty boy?"

"Pretty boy?" Akira questioned, defensively.

"Leave him alone!" Raye hollered.

"Shut up!" Spike looked at Raye.

"Excuse you!" Akira stepped forward, gently pushing Raye away with his arm. "You shouldn't talk to a woman like that."

Yeah, well, you heard me! Your girlfriend is a little slut who doesn't know when to shut her mouth!"

Serena gasped. This was getting way too out of hand. She tried to step in-between Spike and Akira, but they were firmly at each other's throats. "Guys! Guys! Is this necessary?"

"It's necessary!" Spike threw a punch at Akira. Surprisingly, Akira blocked the punch and threw one of his own. He hit Spike in the face and blood started to gush from Spike's nose. Angrily, the large man leapt forward and tackled Akira. As they flew back, they landed in the wedding cake that was being rolled through that moment.

Serena put her hands on her forehead. "Oh, goodness! He wasn't supposed to get into a physical fight!"

Raye looked over. "What?"

Serena glanced over at Raye. "Promise you won't be mad?"

Raye crossed her arms. "What's going on?"

"I hired Spike to hit on you so Akira would get jealous and protect you."

"SER-E-NA!" Raye growled, stretching the syllables greatly.

Serena nervously laughed and looked back towards the ground. Within the mass of smashed cake and crowds of people, Spike and Akira wrestled on the ground punching each other furiously.

* * *

She felt horribly guilty. The bump on his forehead from the lamppost accident was just starting to go away, but now, half of his face was covered in bruises. He was sitting on the deck watching the sunset for that day. Darien and Serena and already left for their honeymoon in Hawaii. Perhaps now she would get some peace, but it didn't really seem to matter. Any sort of chances she had with Akira were surely gone. Gingerly, she approached him with a bag of ice and handed it to him. He pulled the old bag off, revealing his swollen eye.

Raye cringed at the sight.

"I look that bad?"

Raye nodded. "I'm so sorry. Serena does stuff like this all the time,"

Akira gently laughed. "How are you still alive?"

Raye chuckled faintly. "I don't know." Her mood became more serious. "I really am sorry. I've caused you so many accidents."

"Today wasn't your fault."

Raye rolled her eyes. "Yes, but it was my Grandfather's and my friend's fault. You know, once they get an idea in their heads, they won't stop."

"So it's going to be like this forever?" Akira pondered for a moment.

Raye nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"So the only way it will stop if I ask you out on a date."

"Yes," Raye uttered then jerked her head over at Akira. "What?" She shook her head. "You don't have to ask me out just to please my Grandfather."

"I've wanted to ask you out for a long time—getting them to stop plotting is just a perk." He felt silent for a moment and smirked. "You know, I had given up on love, but I came to this Shrine for the first time and I prayed." He was silent for another moment. "That's when I first saw you."

"When you rang the bell," She uttered.

He nodded. "Yes, how did you know?"

"That's when I first saw you." She laughed. "I couldn't keep my eyes off you."

He faintly smirked. "I thought I'd never see you again, but there you were standing in front of the Shrine to distract me."

She glanced away, happy but slightly embarrassed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the pink love charm. She rubbed her thumb over the stitching of the kanji of love. "I've sold these for years, but I never believed they worked." She kept her face hidden from him, fighting the tears. "I don't know why, but it has always been so difficult for me."

He looked down at his shoes. "I understand too well." He was silent for a moment. "I dated a girl all through high school. Her name was Yuki." He looked up. "I fell in love with her and planned on proposing after graduation. I guess I was naïve and stupid back then to think she actually loved me back."

"What happened?" Raye looked over.

He faintly smiled, only to hide pain. "My best friend helped me pick out her engagement ring, but it was my best friend who she was cheating on me with." He sighed. "It was the most miserable feeling of my life to take that ring back to the store."

"I'm sorry." Raye nodded. She had been through some difficult things over the past few years, but not like that.

"The last three years have felt so impossible. Friends have tried to set me up on dates, but nothing seems to be right. They all feel the same—pointless."

She nodded. "Yes, and they dig up the worst possible people!"

"Exactly!" Akira exclaimed, thinking of all the terrible blind dates he's been on. He shook his head. "I had given up until I saw you."

Raye looked up at him. The statement shook her to the very core of her being.


	4. Dance

**Episode Four**

**Dance**

Joyfully, she laughed as his voice warmed her heart through the telephone. With the cordless phone between her shoulder and ear, she dug through her closet for an appropriate outfit that night. "Where exactly are we going?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"I told you. It's a surprise."

"You'd surprise me now if you just told me."

Akira sighed. "Raye, why are you so worried?"

Raye continued to dig through the closet. "I don't know what to wear since I don't know where you're taking me." She looked through her shirts some more. "Would you just tell me?"

"No," He said teasingly, his voice almost smiling through the phone. "Just wear something nice but comfortable."

"Like what?" She asked.

"Oh, I don't know, how about that tube-top and fish net combo you have?"

She laughed. "I don't have a tube-top. I'll have to borrow it from you."

"How did you find out about that?" He asked, teasingly.

"I know everything."

"Yeah, except where we're going!" He laughed.

Raye sighed. It was near the closing of the semester. They had been dating since August, and now they were in the beginning of December. Things were started to escalate in their relationship—in two weeks, she was going to Sendai to visit Akira's sister and nephew.

"I really don't know what to wear," Raye said.

"Raye," Akira's tone grew serious. "I'm sure you'll look beautiful in anything you decide to wear."

Raye paused for a moment. Statements like that seemed too good to be true, but as she paused, she felt warmth in her spirit. Sure, she had heard lines like that a thousand times, but this time, from him, she believed it.

The door to Raye's bedroom slid open. The head of a short bald man popped into the room. "Raye, would you get off that blasted phone! You've been on it for two hours! Who in the world do you need to talk to for that long?"

Raye looked over at Grandpa. "I'm talking to Akira."

Grandpa pulled his head out of the bedroom. "Never mind," he said sweetly. He turned around and started walking down the hallway while humming the tune to the "Wedding March."

Raye rolled her eyes as she heard the song her Grandfather hummed. "Listen, I better get off the phone."

"Alright, if you must," Akira sighed, teasingly.

"I must," Raye responded. "I'll see you at six then."

"Alright. Goodbye then."

"Goodbye." Raye pushed the button to hang up the phone. She walked out of her room and headed to the kitchen to hang up the telephone. At the table, her grandfather sat drinking a cup of tea.

"You know, Grandpa, it's really rude when you barge into my room like that."

"It's really rude when you tie up my phone lines like that."

Raye rolled her eyes. She started to dig in the cabinets for a cup. "You didn't seem very upset when you found out who I was taking too."

"A small price to pay for phone bills to see you married."

Raye turned around. "Is that all you care about—getting me married?"

"That's not entirely true."

"Grandpa!"

"I care about getting you married to the right man."

Raye shook her head and turned back to the cupboards. "The right man for you just has to be a male."

"Not true!"

Raye turned back around with a suspicious look on her face.

Her grandfather reflected for a moment. "You're happier when you're with him." He traced his finger over the rim of his teacup, something Raye also did. "I haven't ever heard you laugh as much your entire life as you have the past few months." The old man looked up at his granddaughter. "I really do just want you to be happy, and as I said, it's a small price to pay in phone bills to see you happy."

Stunned, Raye stood in the kitchen for a few moments pondering over what her Grandfather had said to her.

* * *

They rode the bus for a very long time until they reached the section of Tokyo Akira was leading them too. Raye had never been to this part of town before. It was the section where most foreigners lived. Finally, they got off the bus. Akira led her through the streets that were exotically decorated. It was like she was transported into a different world. They didn't need to walk very long until they reached a large building with faint music seeping from the walls. Akira led her inside by the hand.

She felt awkward in unfamiliar territory, but Akira seemed to know exactly where he was going. After they walked through some hallways, they reached their destination. It was a nightclub with foreign sounding music. They walked straight up to a foreign bouncer.

"Hey, I'm Akira Kawamori. I'm looking for my friend…"

"Akira!"

Raye looked up. A young foreign man approached them with his arms open wide. He reached out and hugged Akira, not a Japanese custom, but Akira responded. "Dilip! It's great to see you!"

"Yes, and you old friend!" The young man named Dilip said. He looked over at Raye and smiled. "And who's this?"

Akira smiled then looked over at Raye. "This is my girlfriend, Raye." Raye bowed politely.

Dilip bowed with his hands folded in front of him. "Namaste." He looked up and grabbed Akira's shoulder. "Well, it is good to have you both with us!" He laughed. He ushered Akira and Raye into the nightclub. Raye looked around. Most of the people were foreign, but there were some Japanese. The beat of the music started to make her body sway. She smiled—she was in an Indian nightclub in the middle of Tokyo.

Akira looked over at her. "You like it?"

"I love it!" Raye said over the loud Bhangra style music. "Where did you ever find a place like this?"

"Dilip and I met in London back a few years ago," Akira led her forward. "We've always been in contact since." While Akira was high school, he spent most of his summers in Europe. He was a very cultured person and had traveled to many places.

Dilip walked over to a table and sat Akira and Raye down. He looked to Raye. "You'll have to drag him out unto the dance floor! I'm sure he hasn't told you, but your boyfriend can really move."

Raye looked over at Akira slyly. "Oh, really?" She looked back over to Dilip. "He never told me that."

Dilip laughed. "Are you hungry?"

Akira touched his stomach. "Starved."

"I'll bring us some dinner." Dilip walked away.

* * *

Akira and Raye were taken to a back room away from the dance floor. They were placed at a low table with large pillow cushions for seats. Akira's friend, Dilip came back into the room and joined them at the table. Along with Akira, Raye, and Dilip, there were three other Indians. Dilip's new wife, Indira was seated next to him. Kiran, another friend of Dilip, and Kiran's wife, Sati.

Metal dishes were put before them. At the bottom of the metal dish was a banana leaf. Akira looked over at Raye. "Serving us on a banana leaf means that we are honored guests."

Dilip nodded. "That's right. You are very welcome here."

Raye looked over all the Indians. "Did you all live here in Tokyo your whole lives or did you immigrate here?"

Indira, Dilip's wife, spoke for him since Dilip was taking a drink. "I'm originally from Bangalore, but Dilip is from Delhi. We moved to Tokyo two years ago to start a business."

Raye looked over at Kiran and Sati.

Kirin was already digging into the rice bowl. "My wife and I are from Kolkata. We moved here for business ourselves. Tokyo is a very fascinating city."

Raye nodded. She noticed that the Indians were eating with their right hand. Akira started to do the same thing. She looked over at him, slightly nervous. She was never allowed to eat with her hand her entire life. Akira glanced back over at her. He pointed to an orange sauce with chicken. "This is butter chicken. Use your hand to mix it in with the rice." Akira used his right hand to demonstrate. He raised his hand and flicked the rice in his mouth with his thumb. Raye tried to do the same thing, but when she flicked the rice, it flew up into her face.

The Indians chuckled but were extremely friendly. Akira demonstrated again. "Make sure you press the rice into a ball first." Raye tried again. This time she successfully put the rice into her mouth. The Indians slightly clapped and cheered for her.

"Here, try this too." Akira put a round piece of bread on her plate. It was warm, soft, and chewy. "It's called Naan."

Raye smiled and tried some of the bread.

The night continued on, and after a large dinner, Raye felt very stuffed and somewhat tired. The six of them sat around talking for almost an hour after dinner about anything that came to mind. She hadn't felt that relaxed and content in a long time. Indira and Sati shared cooking tips with Raye about making Indian food while Dilip, Kiran, and Akira discussed football and cricket. Sometimes the Indians would tell Raye about India while Raye would explain the usual cultural circumstances of Japan. The night progressed on and pause came in conversation to leave the table. Akira, Raye, and the Indians stood up from the table completely full.

"Well, I suppose we should go," Akira said.

"Oh, no you don't!" Dilip said. "You're taking this lovely young lady out on the dance floor." Dilip motioned to Raye.

Akira smiled, embarrassed. "I don't think…"

"Akira, this is her first Indian experience, and you're going to let her go home without dancing to the beat of Bhangra?" Indira asked.

Kiran started simulating the sound of Bhangra music with his voice while the other Indians started dancing.

Raye looked at Akira with a grin. "Yeah, Akira, you're going to let me go home without dancing?" She grinned wider. "Besides, I need to see for myself that you're as good of a dancer as Dilip says you are."

"Yes, I'd swear he was Indian if he wasn't so light skinned!" Dilip laughed.

Akira laughed. "Alright." He grabbed Raye by the hands and led her out of the room. The six of them walked down the hallway laughing and excited. As the sound of the music grew louder with their approach, they started to move to the beat. Finally, they reached the dance floor and joined the large crowds of those already dancing to the Bhangra pop beat. Colored lights flashed all over the room and the crowds. True to Dilip's words, Akira new exactly what he was doing. Raye stood pondering for a moment. There were so many facets to Akira's persona that he was always constantly surprising her—but it made her like him all the more. She watched him dance with a group of Indian men in jeans and an un-tucked collar shirt. She snapped out of her daze as he approached her. He took a hold of her hands and led her into the group. She started to mimic the dance—she wasn't bad at it at all.

After a few moments, they broke away from the group and started to dance by themselves. She lost sight of him for a moment, but she felt him behind her. Her back was pressed against his chest. Without even thinking, she reached up for his cheek. She glanced back towards him, tilting his check towards her. The fast paced music, the constant moving of the lights, and the dancing crowds all seemed to stop as her lips met his in that moment.

* * *

Sure, she had kissed him before, but not like that. She had never kissed anyone like that before. Glad it was night, she traveled the entire night home with a blush upon her cheeks. He was mostly silent himself, but from his facial expression, he looked content and happy. After an hour on the bus, they finally reached the stop of the Hikawa Shrine. Akira always insisted on walking Raye to her door then heading to his apartment by foot. Of course, this night was no different. Tiredly, they climbed the tall stairway to Hikawa Shrine.

"I'm so tired that I suggest you move your house so I don't have to climb these stairs." Akira said.

Raye faintly laughed. "Yes, sometimes I feel like I'm climbing the stairway to heaven." They reached the top of the stairway in that moment. She paused at the top stair.

Akira was already finished. He looked over at Raye who paused on the last step. "Is everything okay?"

Raye looked up and nodded. "Yes." She smiled and finished the last stair. They walked through the dark courtyard for a moment then finally reached the house. Raye bit her goodbyes to Akira then stepped inside the house. Akira turned around and walked back into the darkness. After a few moments, he finally reached the top of the stairs. As he stepped down onto the first step, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the darkness. Quickly, he turned around and ran back towards the house. He flung the doors open. He followed the source of the screaming. As he ran into the living room, he saw Raye on the floor holding her grandfather in her arms.

"GRANDPA! GRANDPA!" Raye shook her Grandfather's lifeless body. Akira dashed for the telephone to call an ambulance.


End file.
